Merle Haggard And The Strangers

Vinyl Records and Rare LPs:

Pride In What I Am
Country New - LP SKAO 168 Capitol
Sealed 1969 Gatefold Original. Tiny Cut Out Hole. “Continuing With The Subtle Folk Streak Running Beneath The Legend Of Bonnie & Clyde And Mama Tried, Merle Haggard Turned In One Of His Finest Efforts To Date In 1969's Pride In What I Am. While There Are No Flat-Out Classics Outside Of "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am" -- It's The Only Track On The Album Here That Was A Hit -- The Album Is Certainly Not Lacking In Strong Material. In Fact, It Gains Considerable Strength From A Diversity Of Material, Where The Rolling, Folk-Tinged Sound Epitomized By The Title Song Is Balanced By Twangy, Spare Country And Bits Of Hard Honky Tonk, Blues, And Cowboy, Not To Mention The Slyly Inventive Arrangement On His Version Of Lefty Frizzell's “It Meant Goodbye To Me When You Said Hello To Him." There Are Also Hints Of The Direction Hag Would Take In The Near Future, Including A Jimmie Rodgers Song (His Tribute To The Singing Brakeman, Same Train, Different Time, Would Follow Next), And The Encroaching Celebration Of A Time Passed, Though His Cover Of Red Simpson's "I Think We're Livin' In The Good Old Days." There Is Another Simpson Cover In "Somewhere On Skid Row," But What Fuels Pride In What I Am Is A Selection Of Graceful, Low-Key Minor Masterworks From Haggard Himself, Who Explores Gentler Territory With "The Day The Rains Came" And "I Can't Hold Myself In Line," While Kicking Up The Tempo With The Delightful "I'm Bringin' Home Good News" And Laying Back With The Steady-Rolling "I Just Want To Look At You One More Time." None Of These May Be Among His Most Celebrated Songs, But They're All Small Gems That Illustrate What A Fine Songwriter He Is.” Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG.... more details

Hag
Country New - LP ST 735 Capitol
Factory Sealed 1971 Heavy Vinyl Stereo. 5 Stars! “Arriving After The Superb Bob Wills Salute Tribute To The Best Damn Fiddle Player In The World, 1971's Hag Was Merle Haggard's First Collection Of Largely Original Songs In Two Years, Since 1969's Portrait. Since That Album, Haggard Experienced Great Success With "Okie From Muskogee," Which Launched Two Quick Live Plus An Instrumental Album By The Strangers, Before The Labor Of Love Of The Wills Album. Perhaps Haggard Had A Great Stock Of Songs Saved Up During Those Two Years, Because Hag Is One Of His Absolute Best Albums -- Which Means A Lot, Because He Recorded No Shortage Of Great Records. In Contrast To The Rowdy Live Albums And The Raucous Western Swing That Preceded It, Hag Is Quite Quiet And Reflective, Sometimes Referencing The Turmoil Within America At The End Of The '60s, But More Often Finding Haggard Turning Inward. This Album Turned Out No Less Than Four Hits, With Three Of Them Addressing Larger Issues: The Revival Of Ernest Tubb's WWII Hit "Soldier's Last Letter" Is Now Cast In The Shadow Of Vietnam, Haggard's Original "Jesus, Take A Hold" Ponders The State Of The World, While Dave Kirby's "Sidewalks Of Chicago" Is About Homelessness. The Other Hit Was "I Can't Be Myself," A Haunting Admission That The Singer "Can't Be Myself When I'm With You," And It's Only One Of Many Great Originals On Hag. The Tempo Picks Up Twice, Each Time At The End Of The Side, When He Kicks Out The Self-Deprecating "I'm A Good Loser" And The Nostalgic Rave-Up "I've Done It All," But The Heart Of This Is In The Gentler Material, Such As The Melancholic Elegy Of "Shelly's Winter Love," The Sighing Heartbreak Ballad "If You've Got Time," And "The Farmer's Daughter," An Affecting Tale Of A Father Giving Away His Daughter In Marriage. Each Is An Expertly Observed, Richly Textured Gem, And Taken Together They Add Up To One Of Haggard's Best Albums, And One Of His Most Moving.” Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG.... more details

Hag
Country Used - LP ST 735 Capitol
1971 Green Label With Purple Logo Stereo Original. Shrink Wrap Intact With The Original Sears Price Tag. Appears Glossy, Unplayed. 5 Stars! “Arriving After The Superb Bob Wills Salute Tribute To The Best Damn Fiddle Player In The World, 1971's Hag Was Merle Haggard's First Collection Of Largely Original Songs In Two Years, Since 1969's Portrait. Since That Album, Haggard Experienced Great Success With "Okie From Muskogee," Which Launched Two Quick Live Plus An Instrumental Album By The Strangers, Before The Labor Of Love Of The Wills Album. Perhaps Haggard Had A Great Stock Of Songs Saved Up During Those Two Years, Because Hag Is One Of His Absolute Best Albums -- Which Means A Lot, Because He Recorded No Shortage Of Great Records. In Contrast To The Rowdy Live Albums And The Raucous Western Swing That Preceded It, Hag Is Quite Quiet And Reflective, Sometimes Referencing The Turmoil Within America At The End Of The '60s, But More Often Finding Haggard Turning Inward. This Album Turned Out No Less Than Four Hits, With Three Of Them Addressing Larger Issues: The Revival Of Ernest Tubb's WWII Hit "Soldier's Last Letter" Is Now Cast In The Shadow Of Vietnam, Haggard's Original "Jesus, Take A Hold" Ponders The State Of The World, While Dave Kirby's "Sidewalks Of Chicago" Is About Homelessness. The Other Hit Was "I Can't Be Myself," A Haunting Admission That The Singer "Can't Be Myself When I'm With You," And It's Only One Of Many Great Originals On Hag. The Tempo Picks Up Twice, Each Time At The End Of The Side, When He Kicks Out The Self-Deprecating "I'm A Good Loser" And The Nostalgic Rave-Up "I've Done It All," But The Heart Of This Is In The Gentler Material, Such As The Melancholic Elegy Of "Shelly's Winter Love," The Sighing Heartbreak Ballad "If You've Got Time," And "The Farmer's Daughter," An Affecting Tale Of A Father Giving Away His Daughter In Marriage. Each Is An Expertly Observed, Richly Textured Gem, And Taken Together They Add Up To One Of Haggard's Best Albums, And One Of His Most Moving.” Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG.... more details